X-Factor wrote:AZGrizFan wrote:
I won't disagree with most of those, but i think GaTech and Nevada absolutely ROLL the bison. On the other hand, I think they might have had a shot against ASU (especially at the end of the season)...
Absolutely ROLL? That is an incredibly ridiculous statement considering much lesser FCS teams keep games close all the time. Not only that, but the Bison play much better against FBS competition than any FCS team in recent history (fact). Our record against FBS speaks for itself. The Bison D would keep us in the game against all but the most prolific offensive teams.
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I don't think NDSU would get rolled by these teams, with maybe a few exceptions. They are as big and as good on the line as almost any FBS school. They were exceptional on one side of the field in the defensive backfield. If you can move the pile on offense, and take away half the field, I don't think you get rolled too often.
As for the statement that their record against FBS schools speaks for itself. Eh, I don't know about that. They only schedule teams that they feel that they can be competitive with, and that's a great plan. But it doesn't mean that they walk among the lower half of the top 25. They can beat the worst of the Big 10 and Big 12. I think that's awesome, and most teams in the FCS couldn't do the same. But I would think that most of the top 5 or 10 could make things interesting with those same teams or beat them outright. It's not the same as the Citadel playing the Gamecocks or Gators for a payday.
When you talk about the Minnesotas and Central Michigans of the FBS the only difference between them and the top 5-10 schools in the FCS is depth. Their best 85 are going to be better than our best 85, but when you get down to 22 vs 22 it's a lot closer than the also-rans of the FBS would like you to think. Most of these FBS and FCS schools don't have that one kid that's a difference maker. Sometimes they get lucky and a kid overachieves. That kid can make the difference between a last place Big 10 team and a fifth place Big 10 team. The top 10 schools in the FBS have 3 or 4 of these kids on their teams.
I do like NDSU's strategy when it comes to FBS games, play the teams you can compete with. But if they started playing the Wisconsins, USCs, and Oklahomas of the FBS, I think you wouldn't have much to talk about.